


Kitchen Conversations

by pinkamour1588



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Eve, Cuddling & Snuggling, Fluff, Insecurity, M/M, Neck Kissing, Nervousness, Sleepy Cuddles, Spooning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-11
Updated: 2017-12-11
Packaged: 2019-02-13 14:38:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,203
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12986184
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pinkamour1588/pseuds/pinkamour1588
Summary: Christmas Eve and Jim can’t sleep. Apparently neither can Leonard’s mama.





	Kitchen Conversations

Jim lied wide awake next to Leonard, staring at the ceiling. They’d only been in Georgia for less than a day and he wasn’t sure if it was the time zone difference that was making it hard to sleep or all the anxiety over meeting the rest of Leonard’s extended family the next day. As much as he wanted to convince himself it was the former, that he of all people couldn’t be nervous or anxious about meeting people, his gut told him otherwise. It didn’t make sense. Jim could chat anyone up, have a conversation with anyone, get his way with almost anyone, but there was just something about having to do it with Leonard’s family that terrified him.

He considered for a moment waking Leonard up and asking if they could watch a movie or just talk, but when he looked over at his boyfriend sleeping peacefully, he just didn’t have it in himself to wake him. The man was tired, he’d spent the day running after his little girl. Jim had too but he didn’t tire out as fast. He let out a soft sigh, getting out of bed careful not to wake Leonard and grabbing his PADD after pulling on a pair of pajama pants. As silently as he could, he walked out of the bedroom, down the hall, and down the stairs to the kitchen, since one of Leonard’s cousin’s and her husband were sleeping in the living room. Settling at the kitchen table, he pulled up the book he was in the middle of reading and stared blankly at it. No matter how much he tried to focus and just read, his mind kept wandering back to having to meet the rest his boyfriend’s family.

“Can’t sleep?” Eleanora asked from the doorway.

“No, ma’am,” Jim answered as he looked up from his PADD.

“Neither can I. You would think a seven-year-old running around the house and playing hostess would tire a woman my age out, but apparently not.” She walked further into the kitchen and opened the fridge. “Are you hungry? I can make you a sandwich or something. You do know you’re welcome to eat anything that isn’t labeled not to.”

“I can make it myself.”  Jim stood but was shooed back to his seat.

“Nonsense, you’re a guest. Now what would you like on your sandwich?”

“Just a regular ham and cheese sandwich is fine.”

The kitchen was silent for the next several minutes while she made the sandwich. After setting it in front of Jim, she looked at him thoughtfully before sitting down. Jim tried not to pick at the sandwich too much as he ate.

“I take it that it wasn’t hunger keeping you awake tonight,” she said after a couple minutes.

“No, not really,” Jim admitted.

“What’s on your mind, dear?”

He stared down at the sandwich on the plate in front of him, thoughts swirling in his head. “You all are so nice. Your entire family is so nice and welcoming and…” Jim trailed off, pausing for a moment as he managed to pick a hole through the bread. “And Leonard is the best thing that’s ever happened to me but…but I don’t feel like I deserve it. I don’t feel like I deserve all of this.”

She reached out and rubbed his arm gently as she answered, “I’d say that next to Jo, you’re the greatest things that’s happened to my Len, and one of the greatest things to happen in this family in a while. You deserve every last bit of it.”

“I really don’t. You only think that because he only told you the good things. Played them up as being far bigger deals than they are.”

She gave a small laugh and smiled. “He told me that you’ve been arrested for various petty crimes, like drunk in public and underage drinking. That you have a fondness for flirting, even at less appropriate moments. That you’re reckless at times. He’s told me all of those things. And I still think—no, I know—that you deserve him and this family.”

Jim stared down at the sandwich. He wanted to argue back that he really didn’t deserve it all, and especially didn’t deserve Leonard, but it felt futile.

“Mama? Do you know where J…” Leonard began as he shuffled into the kitchen, sleepy eyed and scratching his stubbly jaw. “Jim, what’re you doin’ up? Come back to bed.”

Jim looked over his shoulder at Leonard, chest aching at the sight of his boyfriend leaning tiredly against the doorframe.

“I’ll pack the sandwich away. You go on,” Eleanora smiled, patting Jim’s forearm gently as she stood and took the plate.

After a moment of hesitation, Jim stood and walked over to Leonard. He let Leonard take his hand and lead him away from the kitchen before stopping abruptly to look at Jim closely.

“What’s wrong?” Leonard asked.

“It’s nothing. Let’s just go back to bed. What woke you up anyway?” Jim answered heading up the stairs, dragging Leonard along behind him.

“I turned over and the bed was cold. You’re pretty much what keeps the bed warm.”

“Only cause you’re perpetually freezing cold. Your feet are like icicles.”

“See, I need my little bed warmer,” Leonard grinned as they got into bed.

“That all I am to you?” Jim meant for it to come out like a joke, but it ended up sounding a little more bitter.

“What?” Leonard looked at Jim like he’s lost his mind.

“Nothing.” Jim settled down on his side of the bed, with his back to Leonard.

The doctor moved closer and put his arm around Jim, kissing the top of his back. “Didn’t sound like ‘nothing’. Jim, I was just making a joke.”

“So was I.”

“No, you weren’t. What’s goin’ on in that pretty little head of yours?”

Jim sighed. “I don’t deserve you and your family.”

“Who told you that? I know it wasn’t my mama.”

“Me.”

“Well, you’re lying to yourself. You…”

“Bones…” Jim cut him off.

“No, listen to me. Please. You deserve all of this. Every last bit of it. And anyone, including your own brain, who tells you otherwise is lying. Alright?”

“Alright,” Jim nodded.

Leonard pressed a lingering kiss to the back of Jim’s neck before curling up closer against Jim, pressing his cold feet to the blond’s warm ones. Jim cracked a small smile when he felt stubble brushing against his skin as Leonard pressed his face into Jim’s neck.

***

The next morning, after putting the last few presents under the Christmas tree, Eleanora went back upstairs. As she passed the guest room Jim and Leonard were sleeping in, she paused and nudged the door open further.

The two men were still fast asleep, only taking up a small portion of the bed. Leonard was still curled around Jim with his arm tightly around the blond. Jim had one hand resting on top of Leonard’s as if he was holding the doctor in place.

Eleanora smiled and closed the door, shaking her head slowly as she walked away. She just couldn’t understand how the two of those men could think they didn’t deserve each other.

**Author's Note:**

> Come say hi on [tumblr](http://pinkamour1588.tumblr.com)


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